Improvement in paddle-wheels



anni mes @sind dtjiiira DAVID ANDERSON, 0F PHILADELPHA, PENNSYLVANIA'.

'Letters Patent No. 99,807, dated Feb'rua/ry 15, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN PADDLE-WHEELS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of un-me.

Nature cmd Objects of 'the Invention.

My invention relates to that class of paddle-wheels in which the paddles swing on journals and enter, pass through, and leave the water in vertical positions; and' My invention consists in the combination of a coupling-chain between each pair of the paddles, and 'a ii'iction-roller on an arm of each paddle of the wheel, witha stationary guide-bearing, for the friction-rollers, on the side of the vessel, insuch a manner that as theI said wheel is being rotatedineither direction all the paddles in the lower half ofthe wheel will simultaneously be kept securely in vertical positions by means of the coupling-chains, friction-rollers, and guide-bearing, the object of my invention being to aiibrda more simple, inexpensive, and reliable mode of causing the paddles to enter, pass through, and leave the water in vertical positions vduring the rotary motions ot' the wheel in either direction Description of the Accompanying Dra/wings.

Figure 1 is a sideview of a paddle-wheel embodying my invention,-the corresponding outside frame of Vthe Wheel being removed in order to better represent the invention.

Figure 2 is a front view of a plate showing the stationary guide-bearing for the'friction-rollers.

Figure 3 is a detached section showing one of the paddles as suspended upon its two journals, and with its friction-roller bearing against the guide-bearing on the vessel.

General Description. A is` the inner side frame of thel wheel; a a', the paddles; and a a", the friction-rollers; B B, the chains which connect the paddles together;

and

C, the guide-bearing on thc side of the vessel.

The inner and the outer frames oi the wheel are .made exactly alike, and are fixed in the usual manner above what may be termed the bottom edge of the same, so as to give a preponderance to the said lower part of the paddle.

Along near the upper edge of each of the said paddles a straight bar, 5, is fixed, (see Iig. 3,) which projects through the spacious opening between the spokes of the inner frame A, suiiiciently to afford a journal or arm, 6, for the reception and rotation thereon of the dat eye-links b b', which form respectively the one end of `each of two of the chains B B, and of one of the friction-rollers a", in such a manner that the said friction-roller will roll along upon the edge of the xed or stationary guide-bearingG of the plate on the side of ,the vessel, and also keep the said Vtwo eye-links b b of the chains B B between the said roller a" and the shoulder ofthe journal (i, so that the chains connect' ing allthe paddles together will, during the rotary motions of the wheel, pass free from contactwith either the side frame A or the guide-bearing C'. (See fic. 3. olhd guide-bearing C is made nearly in the form of a circular disk, (see iig. 2,) the edge of which is the bearing-plane for the friction-rollers a". The upper part ofthe face, however, is depressed by ashort contrary curve, c', which serves to turn the paddles, as will hereinafter be described.

The chains B B each consist of the two ateyelinks b b', connected by a series of oval links b, and of such a length from eye to eye of the said flat links as will be exactly equal to the distance between the inner end journals 6 of any two proximate paddles a. (See tig. l.)

When the several parts described are properly connected and adjusted, the paddles a of the lower half of the wheel will all be in the vertical positions required, as represented infig. 1, and as the wheel is being rotated, it'willv be readily understood that, as the friction-,rollers a" simultaneously roll against the guidebearing C, the paddles of the lower half of the wheel will all be held firmly in the required vertical positions by means of the stretched or straightened connecting chains B B, as they successively enter, pass through; and leave the water,in whatever direction the wheel may be rotating on its shaft D; and that, as the rollers pass upward above the lower half of the wheel, the paddles -will gradually be more and more inclined u'ntil the rollers reach the depression c in the bearing C, and in passing.the'depression it will cause the paddles to turn over and graduallyapproach the vertical positions required before reaching the water, as represented in fig. l. i

The Vprojection c", over or above the upper edge of the guide-beariug C, is intended to serve mainly as a guard or protector to the friction-rollers a" against inljury or obstruction by anything falling on them from above. Y

It will be seen that the construction, arrangement,

and co-operation of the different parts of this wheel The combination of the couplingv chains B B, the are comparatively simple, and that the wheel will he paddles a a', and the friction-rollers a" a of the wheel easy to construct and keep in order7 with the stationary guide-bearing G on the vessel,.

. 1t is believed that it will effectively perform the substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set functions attributed to it in a more easy or smooth forth.

andsteady manner than any other wheel of its class. DAVID ANDERSON. l Witnesses:

0 um BENJ. MoRIsoN, I claim as my iuvention- W. H. MomsoN. 

